Control means for music boxes



April 18, 1950 A. BERGEN CONTROL MEANS FOR MUSIC BOXES Filed March 24, 1948 INVENTOR. A2652?" 6525:

l atented Apr. 18, 1 950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL MEANS FOR MUSIC BOXES Albert Bergen, New York, N. -Y.,- assignorto National Silver Company,-New York, N. Y.-, a corporation of New York Application March 24, 1948, Serial No.' 16,707

; 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an improved control device for music boxes and relates more particularly to a novel control element comprising one of the legs or necessary supporting members upon which the music box is mounted.

Small music boxes which incorporate some utilitarian article such as a perfume atomizer are frequently mounted on plural leg elements and a plunger or control rod, usually formed of wire, is urged downwardly by a spring and normally projects below the plane of the lower terminals of the leg elements. While the music box is resting upon a flat surface, the control rod is held in its upper position by contact with such surface, and movement of a spring motor which drives the mechanism is thus arrested. When, however, it is desired to use the article associated with the music box, it is picked up from its base support and the control rod is released, thus causing the music box to produce music which continues until the box is returned to the table or other support. The diiliculty with the wire control rods is that they bend and twist and fail to function satisfactorily after a reasonable period of use.

It is an object of the present invention to incorporate the control element in one of the necessary supporting members or legs for the music box, and to so form the control member that it is indistinguishable from the other legs when the music box is resting on a flat surface. When, however, it is lifted from the surface, the leg constituting the control member is freed for limited downward travel and releases the mechanism for operation. The control member of the present invention has operating characteristics superior to the wire control rod of the prior act, does not become entangled with textile table coverings and avoids the unsymmetrical appearance of the dangling wire.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a music box, a portion of the housing section being broken away to show the music mechanism and the improved control element therefor.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the box, partially in section.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 2 but showing the position of the parts when the box has been lifted from the flat supporting surface.

The music box illustrated in the drawing, except for the improved control mechanism of the present invention, is conventional and includes a cylinder I driven by a spring 9 and carrying the usual pins II which, upon rotation engage the tuned, spring fingers 12 to produce the tune. A gear 33 carried by the drum engages a pinion l4 associated with a second gear l5 which engages a second pinion is mounted on shaft l'l journalled in frame [8. A worm gear 2| keyed to such shaft engages a worm 22 on governor shaft 24 to which a governor or vane 25 is keyed. The mechanism is mounted on a base 26 and is enclosed within a generally cylindrical housing 21. In many instances a feminine toilet article such as a perfume atomizer (not shown) may be incorporated in the housing, which for this purpose is provided with a closure cap 30. The base is mounted on legs 28 which may rest upon any flat support such as is shown at 29.

Operation of the music mechanism is interrupted when rotation of the governor is arrested. This is accomplished in the present invention by providing a supplemental leg structure 32, the lower end of which may have generally the same contour as the other legs 28. It is formed with an upwardly extending shank 33 of lesser diameter than the lower portion, thus forming a shoulder 34 which engages the lower surface of the base 26 and limits upward movement of the leg structure. The shank is arranged to pass through a hole 35 in the base which forms a bearing for its shank to permit sliding movethereof. The leg structure is urged downwardly by spring means which may include a wire spring 35 secured at one terminal to screws 31 and passing through an aperture 4| adjacent the upper end of the shank. The spring is then bent as at 42 and again at 43 to form an inturned terminal portion 44 which is disposed radially of the rotating vane and is arranged to intercept rotation of the vane when the leg is in the upper position of Fig. 2 and to move clear of the vane when the box is removed from the support and the leg is caused to move downwardly by action of spring 36. A stop pin 45 may limit downward movement of the shank.

The operation of the device will be largely clear from the foregoing description. The shank 33 of the leg structure 32, being mounted for free vertical sliding movement in aperture 35, normally causes spring terminal 44 to arrest rotation of vane 25. When the leg structure is free from the restraining action of the horizontal support 29 it moves downwardly to the position of Fig. 3 and music is emitted from the box.

While a form or embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction and arported on a horizontal surface; and means for permitting operation of the music mechanism when the box is raised from the supporting surfaces-and to arrest operation thereof when it isreturnedto such surface, the lower wallofth housing having an opening therein, one of the leg elements being provided with an upwardly extending, shank arranged to pass through such opening and .be supported therein for limited- 4 sliding vertical movement, such leg element being formed with a shoulder which limits upward movement of such leg element, spring means urging the leg element downwardly and stop means associated with the upper end of the shank arranged to contact and arrest operation of the music mechanism when said leg element is in upper position and to move free of such mechanism when in downward position.

ALBERT BERGEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the @6 his patenti- UNITE]? QTATES PATENTS s umbe am Date 2,321,365 Darche June 8, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS im as Qeuni Da e zfill f S i zer and. --:---MD@ 192 

